When All Other Lights Go Out
by bluelily3
Summary: After Vegeta flies away from his family the night of their vacation, he gets restless. All thoughts evading sleep, he goes back to the island in the middle of the night. His mind is trained on one thing only. Making it up to her. ONE-SHOT Set right after episode 2 of DBS.


He could still hear the ringing of the crowd in his ears. The chanting. "Old man, old man!" "Dance with us! Dance!" He remembered feeling his family's ki, but they had gotten lost from him somehow. That idea had infuriated him, and he wasn't even sure why. Crowds were not something he could handle. Ever since he had been old enough to eradicate large groups of people in a single blast, that was the only purpose of crowds for him. No one understood this. Not even Bulma. She prefered not to be in crowds, but that was all it was to her, a preference. She could control herself, unlike him.

He lay on the floor of their bedroom at the home compound. Watching the ceiling fan whir slowly, he regretted not being there with her. He was suddenly ashamed of how he had acted. It was like he had run away from the battlefield. It had only been a crowd of people having fun. What was the matter with him? How could he be so arrogant, yet hate attention at the same time? Maybe if they hadn't called him an old man. He wasn't old, damn it all. In fact, he was still young for a Saiyan. Maybe it was the receding hairline?

He sprung up from the floor with an annoyed grunt, tucking his legs under him. His thoughts were driving him crazy again. Sometimes it was difficult to be alone with himself, almost like another kind of training. He glanced hesitantly over at the bed. He'd tried to sleep in it earlier, but everything smelled like Bulma. He'd pressed his face into her pillow, inhaling her shampoo. He could even smell her old sweat and salt on the sheets. If he thought about it too much, it aroused him, and he fought it back, hating to be aroused when she wasn't there. What was he doing? Why had he left her? They were his family, and he really had to admit that, before a few things happened that pissed him off, he really had been having fun. His stomach was still even a bit full from all of those astounding dishes he'd been served. He liked that he could eat whatever he wanted, thanks to Bulma. It made him feel more like a prince, and that feeling was always welcome.

Sighing, Vegeta pulled himself up from the floor, where he had been sitting, staring into the darkness. He needed air. The room felt too empty, too hot. He wanted to be with them again.

He threw open the sliding glass door and growled to himself as he launched into the air. He used to like being alone.

High above the ocean, the cool salty air felt amazing on his skin. He closed his eyes and took it in. He shook his hair out into his own jet stream, and allowed himself a satisfied smirk. There was a constant feeling that he had to adjust to these days, and he wasn't sure what it was. He'd never really felt it before. It was a good feeling though. He'd wanted to ask Bulma about it for a long time, but his pride stood in the way, like always. He knew she'd understand. That woman understood him better than anyone ever had. He decided that tonight, when he found her, he would talk to her about it.

He kept flying south over the sea, pinpointed on his family's ki signature. Trunks was the easiest to feel from far away. But even if he couldn't get a reading, he knew where the island was. He hoped it was quiet now that it was so late at night. Before he'd left home, the clock had read 2:46. He'd find them again just before 3 'o'clock in the morning. After a few more minutes, his eyes caught the dark shape on the horizon. Flying closer, he saw that there were still a few lights on, but overall, the island was dark and silent. He listened to the sound of the waves washing back and forth contently, and was getting ready to land when he pulled up short with a gasp. All along the coastline, there was a faint blue glow. Curious, he moved in closer. His eyes widened as he noticed they were individual lights. It was some sort of sea creature. He landed in the water lightly a few feet away. As they floated closer, he could see that they were some sort of tiny squid.

"Amazing…" He whispered to himself. Vegeta had seen many things in his life, and a lot of them had been astonishing. But this was the first time he truly looked outside of himself, and really noticed things. Sure, he was powerful, but since he met Bulma and discovered that she had her own kind of strength, he was realizing that every living thing had a power all of its own, deep inside himself. He stood in the shallows, enjoying the cool lap of the waves against his bare skin and the dim blue light the squids gave off. He had left the house wearing only a tank top and shorts, those being what he had pulled on earlier that night, hoping to sleep.

The sea creatures washed closer to him, and he even felt one or two brush against his ankles. He could barely register their ki, but that didn't seem to matter. He still liked to watch them.

After a while, he hovered above the water, careful not to disturb the blue creatures, and landed barefoot on shore. He walked on the sand for a moment or two. There was something about the grit of the grains digging into his feet that he enjoyed. He smirked at himself. There were many things he noticed now that were good instead of bad. But it didn't feel wrong. It just felt...different. He walked the shore for a while, his eyes straying to the blue glow every now and then. He wanted to show them to Bulma. Maybe she knew more about them. She seemed to know everything. Thinking about her made him smile deeper, and he vaulted himself into the air with no effort at all.

When he reached the hotel, he had to target his family's ki very specifically. There were hundreds of people in one single building, and he had to concentrate for a second. Trunks's ki was the strongest of course, but the boy had been taught to mask it, and when he was sleeping it was very low. Still, he was flying to the right window in no time. He landed on the ledge and placed his hand on the glass. Bulma had gotten a room with a sliding glass door, just like their bedroom at home. She must have expected him to show up again. He grunted, half amazed and half annoyed. The woman knew him too well. He peered through the glass and realized that this door opened into a sitting room. There were blankets on a bed that came out from the couch. He thought it seemed a bit cheap for a hotel of this caliber, and wondered why his son didn't have his own room. Maybe the boy just didn't care that much where he slept. He could feel him nearby, but he wasn't on the bed. He pulled the door open quietly and closed it shut smoothly behind him. Stepping lightly towards the bed, he spotted Trunks, spread-eagle on the floor and drooling on himself.

"Tch." The noise sounded almost enduring as he bent over without a second thought and picked the boy up. As he lowered him back onto the makeshift bed and pulled a blanket over him, he noticed the boy's scent. Under the smell of the ocean and tanning oil, he could distinguish that of his own scent and his mother's. It was uncanny how their child was such a perfect balance between the two of them. The thought made him proud, and he grinned into the darkness. Trunks made a small grunting sound similar to his own and snuggled further under the blankets. Vegeta's hand instinctively settled on the soft tousled hair, where he gave it one stroke before turning around in search of his wife.

The second he opened the door to the bedroom he could smell her. It was something strong and very pleasing to him. She wasn't wearing perfume; she knew that he always prefered her natural scent. It was the mixture of ocean and salt, the island flowers and wind… Maybe it was because she was so happy and content. And riding atop the whole combination was something familiar that he noticed during a certain cycle of the moon. It was very inviting, and he longed to lower himself on her right now and bury himself deep inside. He grunted softly at the thought and felt a stirring in his groin. She had told him once that it was when she was fertile, and was surprised that he could smell it. Then she had made an off color remark about him being an animal that has meant to make him angry, but had only served to fill him with even more lust. Smiling at the memory, he began to shrug out of his clothes. It felt like the most natural thing to do. As he stepped out of his shorts and top, he chuckled to himself, remembering something else. He glanced out the window to make sure, then nodded. The moon was making its way toward the horizon, leaving for the night. But he had noticed early that night that it had been at its fullest.

The plush bed gave under his hands and knees as he crawled stealthily over to his sleeping wife. He pressed hard on it for a second and noted how it sprang back up quickly. Another check marked off on a list that was forming in his mind. There was nothing he enjoyed more than everything going ideally. He may have ran away this evening, but he was back to make up for it. He crawled over to Bulma, regarding how her face looked while deep in slumber. Remembering how he had tossed around on the bed, then the floor, alone, he was almost annoyed at how well she was sleeping. But he liked how independent she was from him, so he let the thought slip from his mind. As his eyes roamed her in the dimly lit room, he noticed she was clad only in a light shift and underwear. Even in the dead of winter she slept half naked, claiming to always be too warm. Considering she slept with him, (his internal temp was a constant 108 degrees) it made sense. But it also meant to him that she had spirit and strength. He liked her hot body, and strove on a regular occasion to make it even hotter. Her sweat was one of his favorite things in this world. He loved to get physical with her, and relished her friction and power the two of them made together was phenomenal. He smiled to himself as his hands started to touch her. His fingers curled around her ankle, then slowly slid up her leg. She had kept it smooth for him, and the thought encouraged him to keep going. He rubbed her thighs, slowly yet firmly. She made a noise and moved closer to him naturally. As one of his hands glided up toward her underwear, he watched with darkening eyes as her hips bucked slightly and her nipples hardened under the silk shift. She let out a breath and he swore he could hear his name whispered on it.

He couldn't help but smile at himself. She had woken him up out of a dead sleep countless times with her hands on him. The first few times he had been annoyed, but nothing felt quite like her soft hand gripping his manhood and now he always let her do what she wanted, no matter how tired he was. He rarely returned the favor...until now.

He reached under her, both hands cupping her cheeks. Then he had her panties, and was sliding them down and tossing them to the side in one quick gesture. He chuckled softly, a thrill in his voice. She was starting to squirm, but still wasn't awake yet. But he knew that wouldn't last for long. As soon as he started putting something in her, she wouldn't be able to stand it for much longer. He began by cupping her with one hand, feeling the coarse hair under his fingers. He pushed a little there for a while, slowly. Now he was sure she had said his name. He felt himself harden a bit, but it wasn't urgent yet. He wanted to play with her for awhile. He moved up onto her, keeping one hand between her legs and placing the other on her silk clad breast. This too, would have to come off. Even in bed, Vegeta didn't like anything standing in his way. He pushed his hand under the shift and gently squeezed her breast. Then he let his thumb run over it, feeling it harden at the same moment he let his first two fingers slide into her. She shuddered. One more thing, and she would be awake, he assured himself. He almost laughed at how methodical he was being. But it came natural to him, and he easily pushed the thought aside. His face hovered over hers for a moment or two, and he continued to massage her with both hands. He closed his eyes for a second, enjoying himself harden further still as he felt the slick tightness of her hugging his fingers. Woman were indeed soft and warm everywhere, while men remained hard. He pressed his lips onto hers firmly. She awakened slowly, and let him slip his tongue into her mouth. At the same time, he slipped his fingers from her and tightened them around his manhood, feeling it get hot and using her wetness as he pulled at it. He groaned softly.

"Vegeta?" She whispered.

"Hn...I'm here." He answered hoarsely. He continued to pull at himself until he felt it reach its fullness. It pulsed against her belly like a second heartbeat. She shifted, feeling it too, and he shuddered when her own hand went to it.

"Mmm…" He could hear her smile and he smiled back at her.

"I knew you'd come back, babe."

"Did you, now?" He gasped, moving off of her belly and pressing himself into her slowly. She moaned and tilted her hips up, allowing him to slide in.

"Uh huh…" She panted a bit. "It seems...ah...I can always depend on you...mm...these days."

His other hand went from her breast to her neck, traveling up to her hair. Then he bent over her and kissed her again, letting his mouth open to her. He pushed his hips slowly, loving the warm gliding sensation.

"Ugh…" He grunted against her lips. "I'm not sure if I can...hng...make this last very long…" He panted. It was uncharacteristic of him to admit a weakness like this, since he was well known to his wife to last up to 45 minutes, but tonight he was filled with a deep need. It would only take a few more thrusts, and he was a bit disappointed at his lack of control.

"You can't...back off a little…? Slow down…?" She whispered into his ear.

"Oh god...uh...you want me to?" He pulled out almost all the way, bringing her wetness with him. But she wrapped her legs around his narrow waist, which was starting to sweat with the effort not to release.

"No…" She smiled. "Go ahead, my prince…"

With that, he drove himself back in and buried his face into her fragrant neck. He could feel her pulse beating rapidly against his cheek as he thrust in and out, quick and hard. He grunted with the rhythm, then pulled out and in deeply as he felt her tighten. She spasmed, and he roared into the pillow, feeling himself empty into her violently. She had her own face pressed into his neck and she let forth a screech that was sure to wake anybody nearby. Maybe even their son. But as he lazily pushed and pulled out of her a few more times and kissed her deeply, he didn't care who heard them. This, right here, was what he lived for now. He had given his life for her, and he would keep protecting her until his dying breath and beyond.

After he slept on and off for an hour or so, he felt her climb onto him. He held her hips as she moved on him, and listened to her as she bellowed out his name over and over. She tightened around him a good handful of times until he finally gave in again. She had yanked off the silk shift earlier, and he watched her bouncing breasts with his dark eyes, and her hair fall into her eyes as she rocked on him. The sight of her working so hard put him over the edge and he grunted and shuddered, feeling like he had just let loose a small part of his very soul inside of her. Laying there, panting, still watching her, he could smell her fertility again, and wondered if he should ask her about having another child. He wasn't sure she wanted one again, but judging from the violence of his releases tonight, he was sure that if she wasn't protected somehow, he would start life in her very quickly.

He waited until she rolled off of him with a languid grace, then curled her hot little body close into his firm muscles before he asked her.

"Bulma…" He whispered softly.

"Hmm…"

"Do you...hn…" He wasn't sure if she was awake enough for this question to matter. He waited for a few heartbeats for her to respond with more than a murmur. He felt her face push up from his chest and hover over his, her eyes wide in the dark. He pressed his forehead to hers for a moment, then asked again.

"Do you want another child?" He spoke with a firm softness that left a trail like the glowing blue sea creatures, into the dark. He felt her sit up slowly, sure she didn't think she heard him right. He smirked, waiting for the outburst.

"What?" She said, trying to keep her voice level.

"Heh. You heard me, woman. Don't make me repeat myself." He sat up with her, and felt her soft hands on his shoulders. He searched the air for anger, but only felt bewilderment in her ki.

"Are you serious, babe? You really want-" Her voice caught as she saw him nod in the dark, firmly.

"But...how...why?" He was silent for a moment.

"Why not?" He chuckled.

"Oh my god, Vegeta. You aren't joking? You're really serious?"

"Bulma. Have I ever given you a reason to think I was the sort of man who makes jokes? And since when have I not been serious, hn?" But at that remark, he laughed, a short barking laugh that made her smile.

"Well, no, but… What in the world brought this on?" He shrugged.

"I don't know. I just… want another one. I feel like…" He trailed off, not sure how he felt these days. He remembered that he'd meant to talk to her about that.

Suddenly, he slid off the bed and started to pull his clothes back on.

"Hey! Vegeta! Where are you…" Bulma sat up taller on the bed, the blanket wrapped around her.

"I'm not going anywhere." He paused and studied her puzzled face with amusement. "At least not alone." Then, just like a prince in one of those corny movies she always watched, he held out his hand to her.

"Come with me." He kept his face serious, but he knew she saw his dark eyes flash at her in the dim light. She jumped from the bed and threw on her dress faster than he'd ever seen. He bit back a laugh as she raked a hand through her hair (it was four in the morning, who would see her but him?) and stepped up to him resolutely. The look of determination on her face made him want to kiss her again. Her spirit was so exuberant. He wanted to make her a mother again so badly it almost hurt. He knew she had the strength for it. He lifted her up in his strong arms, barely feeling the weight of her.

"Hold on to me." He ordered quietly. He made sure to say it into her ear, and his heart gave a leap when he felt her shudder. Walking over to the bedroom door, he paused before it, letting Bulma open it. When they passed Trunks quietly, he watched her face grow soft, and he could feel her warmth for the boy radiating out to him. He rolled over in his sleep and clenched a corner of the blanket with his childish fist. She looked at Vegeta, and his mouth turned up at the corner, proudly. He let her open the sliding glass door and when she closed it behind them, they waited a moment to see if Trunks would wake up. He supposed if he did, he wouldn't just leave him there, but he really wanted to talk to Bulma alone. It was only an hour before the sun rose, and he needed the darkness for just a little longer. When he sensed Trunks fall back into his REM sleep, he nodded to Bulma. Her eyes glowed in the dark. He tucked her closer to him. She was only wearing the little lavender dress from earlier today, and it left her shoulders bare without the top shirt. Her neck shone with the string of gold orbs, and he recalled feeling them before on his shut eyelids as he had made love to her. He held onto her firmly, one hand under her legs and the other at her lower back. She pressed her face into his chest and sighed happily.

"Hold me close…" He said. He felt her heartbeat pick up at the remark, and didn't realize until it was too late that it sounded desperately romantic. He blushed and grunted.

"Unless you want me to toss you into the sea…" He remarked gruffly. She only laughed.

"Where are we going?" He could hear adventure in her voice, and he wondered how much she craved it since she had gotten older. That was something the two of them shared. The urge to explore and travel.

"Not far." He answered. Then he vaulted up into the air and she gasped and threw her arms around his neck. He flattened out when he reached the dimming stars, but kept her firmly tucked into his chest. They were only in the sky for a moment before he dropped back down to the shore. Bulma made a disappointed noise, and he arched a brow at her. He never took her flying with him, and now he regretted it a bit. He stood next to her and let his eyes roam the water. They were still there. His eyes flicked to her, then back to the sea in question.

"Oh!" She exclaimed. "Firefly Squid!" His lips curved into a smile. He knew she'd know their name. And he was sure there was more.

"They are also called sparkling enope squid. Aren't they gorgeous?"

"I'll bet you know the proper name for them as well." He teased.

"It just so happens I do, you brat." She playfully smacked his shoulder."

"Well?" His dark eyes challenged her.

"They are called Watasenia Scintillans. And they are the sole species in the genus Watasenia."

"Sole species...hn... " He looked at them a bit sadly.

"What makes them glow blue like that?"

"Well…" He noticed that Bulma was watching him thoughtfully. "They are bioluminescent. Which means they can produce their own light. They do it for survival reasons." He involuntarily clenched his fists when she said survival.

"It's for attracting food and mates, mostly."

"Hn. And why blue?" He looked at her then, seeing the blue reflect in her eyes. It was the same color; a hue that he favored above all others. She looked back out at the tiny squids.

"They use it for camouflage. When a predator approaches, they swim below it, and glow blue to match the ocean. They can turn invisible this way. Pretty amazing, huh?" He nodded once, continuing to watch them.

"You like biology, don't you?" He smirked at her.

"Well, of course! I am a scientist, after all." She winked.

"Have you given any more thought to my little biological question?" He hinted, pinning her with his dark eyes.

"Uh...Oh! The baby. I still can't believe-"

"Well, believe it. Whatever you are doing to stop it from happening, don't do it. I want-"

"Hey! I didn't give you an answer yet, mister!" Her eyes flared up, growing even more blue. She marched toward him, jabbing a finger into the air. He knew it was headed for his chest.

"How do you know I even want another kid? I'm getting older, and it's me that has to go through the pregnancy and birth. Me that has to stay up all night feeding it, and changing it, and me that has to take care…" He blocked the jabbing finger and folded her hand gently in his.

"I'm here this time." He said it so matter-of-fact that is dwindled the fire from her eyes.

"Wha?"

"You heard me. You're not alone. I know how to be a father now, and I can just as easily do it with two children. Don't worry about me not being there." Suddenly she moved closer to him.

"Vegeta…" Her voice trembled around his name.

"Do you really-"  
"If you ask me one more time whether I mean it or not, woman, I will seriously throw you in with the squid."

"Okay." Her eyes brimmed with joyful tears. "Okay!" She threw her arms around his waist.

"I'll have your baby!" She laughed. He nodded, trying to hide his smile, but losing the battle.

"Okay." His choked on the word when it sounded a bit more higher pitch than he'd intended. And as his hands found her small waist and he picked her up into a ridiculous little half spin there on the beach, he realized that he didn't have to ask Bulma what this new feeling was that he'd had for a while. He suddenly knew. He was happy. For the first time in his life.

As the stars blinked out one by one, along with the blue glow of the firefly squid, Vegeta sat on the shore with his feet buried in the sand, one hand clasped around Bulma's. They watched the sunrise together, and she drew their initials in the sand with a stick. He smirked at her dismayed expression when the waves washed it away, then pulled her onto his lap. He let her know with a kiss that the waves meant nothing to them, they were more firmly set than some foolish letters in the sand. He only stopped when he heard Trunks's embarrassed chuckle, and then he watched curiously as the boy started to make a sand castle. Soon they were both helping him make the biggest one on the beach, and the three of them watched proudly as the waves washed weakly at its sturdy walls. Vegeta's family was stronger than anything that could be formed with sand. And soon, if he had his way, there would be one more.


End file.
